René-Bonnet Djet car range and history 

Manufacturer:	René-Bonnet
Production:	1962 to 1964
Class:	sports car
Top speed:	99.4 mph, 160 km/h
Body and chassis
Body styles:	coupe
Doors:	2
Chassis/body:	monocoque fiberglass body
Suspension front:	independent
Suspension rear:	independent
Engine and Powertrain
Drive:	rear
Engine Type:	4 cylinders
Engine Displacement:	996-1100 cc
Engine location:	Rear center
Engine power:	70 to 105  hp
Transmission:	4 speed
Steering:	rack-and-pinion
Brakes:	disc
Fuel:	Petrol
Tyres:	5.70 - 13
Weights and Dimensions
Wheelbase:	94.56 in, 2400 mm
Length:	153.66 in, 3900 mm
Width:	55.16 in, 1400 mm
Height:	46.89 in, 1190 mm
Track front:	46.46 in, 1180 mm
Track rear:	45.27 in, 1150 mm
Weight:	1213 1b, 550 kg

The René Bonnet Djet also Matra Bonnet Djet , was a sports car, which was built between 1962 and 1964 at Automobiles René Bonnet .

History 

The Djet is a two-seater sports car that appeared in 1962 . Initially developed and produced in 198 copies by the French sports car manufacturer René Bonnet , it was then later manufactured by Matra Sports with 1,495 copies from 1964 to 1968 .Initially developed and produced in 198 units by the French sports car manufacturer René Bonnet René Bonnet had previously built cars in partnership with Charles Deutsch known as Deutsch-Bonnet (DB) , it was then manufactured by Matra Sports in 1,495 units  from 1964 to 1968  .In 1961, the long-term partnership between René Bonnet and Charles Deutsch broke up . The two Frenchmen had been operating under the name of Deutsch & Bonnet since 1932 and, in addition to road vehicles, developed successful racing cars, the DB HBR , the DB HBR4 and the DB HBR5 . After the separation, René Bonnet founded his own company - Automobiles René Bonnet.

As one of the first mid-engined sports cars built in series , the Djet is also significant in terms of automotive history. The chassis consisted of a central tube frame, a grid construction of square tubes. The slim body, which runs flat towards the rear, was made of plastic and manufactured by a subsidiary of Matra. Unusually, the hinged rear window, which allowed easy access to the engine. The 4-cylinder Gordini in - line engine delivered 94 hp (69 kW) and accelerated the vehicle up to 190 km / h. All four wheels were suspended individually via double wishbones , each with two coil springs and two shock absorbers. The weak point was the four-speed transmission from the Renault Estafette , which was developed for a van and was unsuitable for a sports car. It was hard to switch and susceptible to defects.

By 1964, 198 chassis were built, 190 road cars and 8 race chassis. However, these were too few copies to be profitable for Bonnet. Since Bonnet still had old debts from the time of Bonnet & German, he took in 1964 a bid by Lagardère and sold his company to Matra. There, the model was revised several times and sold until 1968 as Matra Djet . He was followed by the Matra 530 with Ford engine.

In the 1950s and 1960s , the DB ( Deutsch-Bonnet ) race and sports coupes DB coach and DB Le Mans created by Charles Deutsch and René Bonnet won many victories in motorsport, particularly in the Le Mans 24 Hours , the Car rally Monte-Carlo , at the 12 Hours of Sebring. After their separation in 1961 , Charles Deutsch continued to collaborate with Panhard and created the brand Panhard CD , while René Bonnet created his brand Automobiles René Bonnet & Cie, allied with Chappe and Gessalin , and Renault Gordini .

 He designs his René Bonnet Missile , and Le Mans, then the Djet, which is a prototype with rear central engine, entered at the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans and will finish 17th although deprived of its 4th gear at eight hours from the end of the race. This central position of the engine (behind the driver) was avant-garde at the time, since that year at Le Mans only the Ferrari Dino SP used the same structure. Bonnet will line up its cars - Renault Gordin i motorized trays and berlinettes - in numerous competitions, including Targa Florio , 6 Hours of the Nürburgring 1962, 12 Hours of Sebring 1962, 1963, 1964, victorious in its category at the 24 Hours of Le Mans 1963.

In 1962 René-Bonnet exhibited at the Paris Motor Show his road version of the 24 hours of Le Mans berlinette, for this purpose, the Djet designed by chief engineer Jacques Hubert around a Renault engine-gearbox assembly Mail carrier placed in rear center position, loses its sophisticated tubular lattice (skeleton of tubes) for a chassis-beam easier to manufacture. The monocoque body is always in laminated polyester.

The Djet was the first road car in history using the structure of competition cars with center-rear engine (placed behind the driver and in front of the rear axle). 

• PERFORMANCE: 1100cc
  Engine capacity: 67.61 cu in, 1,108 cu cm
  Fuel consumption: 31.4 mlimp gal, 26.1 mlUS gal, 9 1 x 100 km
  Max speed: 110.6 mph, 178 km/h
  Acceleration: standing 1/4 mile 18 sec
  Power-weight ratio: 19.4 lb/hp, 8.8 kg/hp
  Max power (SAE): 70 hp at 6,000 rpm
  Max torque (SAE): 57 1b ft, 7.8 kg m at 3,200 rpm
  Max number of engine rpm: 6,500
  Specific power: 63.2 hp/l
  Max speeds: 28 mph, 45 km/h in 1st gear; 49.1 mph, 79 km/hin 2nd gear; 80.8 mph, 130 km/h in 3rd gear; 110.6 mph, 178 km/h in 4th gear
• (competition) Diet engine 996cc
  Max power (SAE) 90 hp at 6,500 rpm
  Max torque (SAE) 72 1b ft. 10 kg m at 4,000 rpm
  Max speed 124.2 mph, 200 km/h
  Fuel consumption 25.7 m/imp gal, 21.4 m/US gal

Bonnet Djet Range 1 to 4

• 1962: René Bonnet Djet and Aérodjet (with Renault Gordini 4 cyl 2 ACT 996 cc ^, 90 hp engine)
• 1963: René Bonnet Djet
• Version 1: 1,108cc ,70  hp engine and frame-beam
• Version 2 1,108cc 80 hp engine with hemispherical cylinder head or 996  cc , 82 hp DOHC and  beam chassis  
• Version 3 : 1,108cc  80 hp  engine with hemispherical cylinder head and tubular trellis
• Version 4 (competition): 996cc  , 100  hp DOHC engine  and tubular trellis

Race History 

The Djet was driven between 1962 and 1965, but almost exclusively reported and used by the factory team. The first race was at the 1962 Nürburgring 1000 km race , which Jean Vinatier and Gérard Laureau finished in the top ten. This resulted in a class victory right at the first start, as the team in the prototype class up to 1-liter displacement was the winner. For almost all French manufacturers, the 24 Hours of Le Mans was and is of particular importance. In 1962 four jets were to enter the race. Bernard Consten and José Rosinksi in the car with the start number 46. Robert Bouhardeand Jean Vinatier in the car with the number 49, and Jean-Claude Vidilles was and Vinatier at number 61. A special form of Djet 2 Spider by Paul Armagnac and Laureau . A car could not start after a training accident. Nevertheless, there was again a class victory, this time by Consten and Rosinski; also the Spider came to the finish.

VARIATIONS AND OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES:
Djet Rallye, engine capacity 60.91 cu in, 996 cu cm, bore and stroke 2.61 x 2.84 in, 66.3 x 72 mm, max power
82 hp at 6500 rpm, dry weight 1169 1b, 530 kg, tyres 5.70 - 11.8, max speed 124.2 mph, 200 km/h, power-weight ratio 14.3 Ibihp, 6.5 kg/hp.